Precious Blue
by DarkStrider
Summary: When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are! When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true...new angle on an SI, I hope
1. Prologue

**Prologue.**

Strider yawned and stared at the pinewood ceiling of his bedroom in boredom, the steady staccato sound of rain pounding heavily on his skylight window lulling him slowly to a peaceful slumber, filled with fantasy and adventure.   
Spotting a shooting star through a brief break in the clouds, the tall teenager smiled sleepily and made a wish.

"Wish I could live in an anime," he murmured softly, before he yawned again and drifted off to sleep. In the sky, a single star flared brightly as it went nova.

- End Prologue -


	2. Shooting Stars

**Chapter 1 - Shooting Stars**

Ranma smiled happily as he stared up at the clear blue sky, silently thanking whichever deities that might have been listening for the few hours of utter peace and tranquillity he was going to have. It was not that he didn't ever get a moment's peace, it was just that they never lasted longer than a few minutes, unless of course it was school during class or when he was asleep - usually both coinciding with each other. He found this very convenient. His father and Mr. Tendo were out doing something or other - he didn't bother to check and Kasumi was out shopping with Akane. Nabiki was over a friend's house for the day, the Amazons were busy with the midday lunch rush, as was Ukyo, and who knew where Ryouga was? The Kunos were, apparently at least, having a family outing to the Hawaiian Wax Museum. 

His happy smile disappeared as a twinkle in the sky grew into a slightly darker sky blue blur that rapidly began to approach the Tendo home in a leisurely parabolic arc. Flipping himself to his feet, Ranma shaded his eyes with his hand against the midday sun and tried to make out any details of the rapidly approaching missile.  
After a few moments, he drew a sharp breath through his teeth as he realized just what the missile was. A person - much like he himself was when Akane got angry enough to mallet him across Nerima.   
Less than five seconds later, the person slammed heavily into the ground no less than three feet away from the pigtailed boy, creating a crater nearly three times its body size and crumpling like a puppet with its strings cut. 

Ranma, concerned, rushed forward to check in the stranger, and barely held in a gasp as he beheld the newcomer. She lay comatose at the centre of the crater, her sky blue hair flung haphazardly about her and concealing her modesty not at all. Her body was covered in nasty looking cuts and bruises, the worst being a large gash that ran from the top of her right breast to her left shoulder, several bite marks indented the flesh around her neck and breasts, and a livid bruise on her left cheek was beginning to swell up.   
Ignoring her nakedness, Ranma reached down and gently hefted the girl into his arms, being careful not to jostle her too much in case he aggravated any injuries he could not see. He carried her into the lounge and set her down on the couch before running to the first-aid cabinet in the bathroom* and returning with the necessary supplies.   
Careful not to aggravate her too much, the young martial-artist quickly and efficiently cleaned out her cuts with some antiseptic fluid and cotton wool before bandaging them firmly but gently. The gash across her upper-chest he cleaned, but noticed with some relief that it would not need stitches.

After he had cleaned up the supplies and placed them back in the cabinet, Ranma went to his room, procured one of his clean silk shirts and returned to the girl, draping first his shirt, then a blanket over her body to cover her modesty. Only after he had covered her did he allow himself to study her intently.

She was tall - at least 6'4" if not 6'5" - taller than he himself, and had a heart-shaped face with a cute button-like nose above slightly pouty pink lips. Her thin sky-blue eyebrows curved gracefully upwards, framed by long illustrious blue hair that would hang down to mid-thigh when she stood up straight. Underneath the blanket and his shirt, he distractedly observed that while her chest was not large, it seemed to suit her willowy stature perfectly. After belatedly remembering to check her pulse and respiration, Ranma made a note that her muscle structure indicated that she was apparently not a very active person - meaning that compared to almost everyone else in Nerima, she was at a severe disadvantage if she ever had a fight. He felt astonished that she had survived the fall at all - by all rights she should have died instantly from the landing.

_She's kinda cute_, Ranma thought to himself, eyeing the large bruise on her left cheek intently and wondering how she had gotten it. At that moment, the girl grimaced as she began to awaken, before her eyes flew wide and she jerked upright - both the shirt and blanket falling away from her chest.  
Ranma's eyes bugged out in surprise as he leapt to his feet. Before he could reach for the blanket to cover her back up again, the girl gave a cry of pain and held her head between her hands.

"Ya probably got a concussion," Ranma explained soothingly, wondering why he hadn't called Tofu yet and then remembering that the good doctor was out of town for a week at a Seminar in Kyoto. The girl jerked in surprise and spun her head around to face him before grimacing and turning slightly green.

"'M gonna be sick," she burbled dizzily, prompting Ranma to dash for the kitchen, retrieve a bowl and sprint back to her, holding the bowl ready just as she emptied the contents of her stomach violently.   
Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Ranma bore it stoically until the girl finished retching, allowing him to put the bowl safely to the side. Still looking green around the gills, the girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and wobbled in her awkward seating arrangement. Before she could fall, Ranma grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her gently back to the couch, covering her breasts up as he went.  
His heavy blush didn't go unnoticed by the girl who raised her head slightly and pulled the shirt away to stare at her breasts dumbly.

"Holy crap," she muttered. Ranma coughed and turned away, his face as red as his shirt. The girl started and turned her eyes to him, blinking in confusion before she twigged the reason he was looking away.  
"Oh. Right" She covered herself up, dragging the shirt on and unsteadily buttoning the ties with shaky fingers. Once finished she slumped back, jostling her head. She groaned in pain until she felt her head being lifted and a soft cushion placed beneath.   
"Thanks," she muttered.

"No problem," Ranma replied. "So, what's yer name?" He asked carefully. The girl jumped again, making him frown, and tilted her head until she was facing him. He was rather startled to see she had glittering amber eyes, and stared into them mutely until she blinked.

Strider stared at the pigtailed boy silently, before remembering to breathe and blink. She did so, before remembering he had asked her a question.  
_Her_, she thought in stunned amazement. _I'm a girlweirdness. Oh _Being, at present at least, a girl, his name didn't seem to fit, so he looked at him mutely and blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"I don't remember," she stated bluntly. Ranma blinked in surprise, then nodded to himself.

_Not surprised, with the size of the bump on her head and all them bruises. She could be in shock or somethin'_, he thought.

"Uhwhat about family?" He queried. She shook her head in the negative. "Friends?" Another shake. "Boyfriend?" Yet another shake. "Uhyou remember anythin'? Anythin' at all?" He asked, looking stumped. Strider shook her head again, inwardly wondering just what the hell was going on.  
"Well," Ranma muttered, "I gotta call ya sumthin'. Got any ideas?" He asked hopefully. Strider stared at him mutely, wondering how the hell she was supposed to know Japanese girl names. About the only ones she knew were from anime! She blinked as that thought caught hold and clung onto her consciousness for dear life.

_Anime_Strider thought to herself. _Why not? _

"Nanami," she said simply. Ranma cocked his head at her curiously. "Nanami, call me that," Strider, now Nanami said. Ranma nodded, a faint smile on his face.

"Alright, Nanami it is!" He said before leaning back and scratching his head. "So, what am I gonna do with ya then?" He muttered to himself. Nanami had a feeling she wasn't supposed to be able to hear him and withheld a laugh as she rubbed her forehead.

_I feel like crap,_ she thought to herself and winced as her cheek throbbed painfully. Gingerly touching it sparked a flare of dull pain and she jerked her hand away quickly.

"You got a load o' cuts an' bruises," Ranma explained without prompting. "I cleaned 'em out for ya and bandaged 'em all, but you're gonna hurt for a while. Can't do anythin about them bruises without knowing the right shiatsu points ta press, an' the Doc'll be away for about a week or so. An' the Old Ghoul ain't a good idea." He added. Nanami gave him a carefully composed clueless look. He grinned and scratched his head in embarrassment. "Never mind!" She gave a sound of agreement and slowly began to rise. "Hey! Whatcha think yer doin'?" Ranma exclaimed, the blue-haired girl paused and looked him in the eye. 

"I want to know what I look like," she muttered. Ranma blinked in surprise. 

"Oh," he said simply. Giving a grunt, Nanami swung a leg around to lever herself up, but paused when she heard a chocking sound from her left. Glancing over she saw Ranma, red faced, gaping like a fish out of water. Following his eyes, she realized she had inadvertently exposed herself for him to see. Reddening, she snorted under her breath and continued to rise. 

_He can look if he wants_, she thought to herself with a guilty flush. Finally standing on her feet, she heard a thud and spotted Ranma passed out on the floor. The reason was obvious - on her taller figure, his shirt came down to hip-level. And no lower.

"Well," she groused softly, "at least I know I've got natural blue hair!" The boy-turned-girl wobbled as a wave of nausea washed over her, and her stomach clenched and flexed sickeningly. "Oh god" she muttered, turning green. Firmly suppressing all thoughts of being sick from her mind, Nanami tottered about looking for the bathroom. Eight minutes later, she tumbled inside after sliding the door open and nearly collapsed on her face.   
A sheen of sweat covered her body, and she felt like she had run a hundred miles.  
"Fucking hell," she muttered as she staggered through the changing room and into the bathroom proper until she came to stand before a mirror.  
"I look like shit," she muttered as she peered at herself in the mirror. Her body throbbed and screamed at her. "I feel like shit," she added with a grimace. After standing still for a further couple of minutes, she looked at her reflection again.  
"I wonder if it's a rule of anime that women have to be either cute, pretty of downright drop-dead-gorgeous?" She mused with a pleased smile. While she had been average as a guy, as a girl she stood out from the crowd. "Sweet," she grinned to herself, frowning a moment later as the livid bruise on her cheek throbbed again. Gingerly she drew off the shirt, and boggled at the numerous cut and bruises across her body.   
"Christ, I look like someone stuck me in a blender and hit _frappé_," she growled. After assessing her injuries, and deducing that she would need at least two months to heal, if not more, she turned her eyes to her body proper.   
Her mouth went dry.  
"Yummy," she whispered hoarsely, turning to get a look at her behind. "And a tight ass too, this gets better and better!" She gave a tight smile at the mirror, when something occurred to her. Licking he lips, she glanced out the door, then back to the mirror before carefully detaching it from its resting place and finishing off her inspection. Nanami groaned as she placed the mirror back in its rightful place, feeling her body flush with arousal.  
_Shouldn't have done that_, she thought wryly to herself as sudden footfalls alerted her to the rapid approach of someone else. Glancing about, she noted that her borrowed shirt was lying discarded five feet away, and she had no chance in hell of reaching it before whoever it was arrived. She had a pretty good idea who it would be anyway, and grinned evilly to herself.

Ranma barrelled into the changing room, his eyes wide and panicked as he searched for the injured girl he had brought in.

She shouldn't be walking about with a concussion! He thought desperately to himself as he looked about. He entered the bathroom quickly, and found himself screeching to a stop abruptly. From where she sat, Nanami carefully lowered her leg and raised her head, her eyes large and innocent.

"Urk," Ranma croaked, feeling his legs wander off as he collapsed to the floor.

"Are you ok?" Nanami asked, grunting painfully as she slowly stood up and hobbled over to where his clean shirt lay on the tiled floor. A trickle of blood was her only answer, increasing slightly as she bent over stiffly to grasp the garment and slowly ease it over her shoulders.   
"You're bleeding!" she muttered, moving slowly over to him and glancing about for something to wipe his face with.

"No!" he yelled, leaping to his feet as she came closer. She froze, looking like a deer in headlights, prompting Ranma to lower the volume.   
"No, t-that's ok. It's juststress! Yeah! Stress, that's it err" His nervous smile withered and died under the doubtful look she cast his way. "Remember anything yet?" He croaked weakly. Nanami shook her head, grimacing and wobbling on her feet as she did so.

"Ow, shit," she muttered as she stumbled, the room spinning around her. "Too fast," she murmured as dark spots danced in front of her eyes and she passed out. Ranma caught her quickly and brought her back into the living room, placing her on the couch and unsuccessfully tugging the shirt she wore down in an attempt to preserve her modesty.

"Geeze" he muttered, "I'm actin' like Ryouga!" With good reason, his mind added silently. He blushed and hastily dragged the blanket over the blue-haired girl's prone form. Sitting back, he held his stomach as it gurgled loudly, reminding him he had yet to eat his lunch.  
"So much for a quiet afternoon," he muttered as he moved into the kitchen and began to make himself something to eat.   
Less than a minute later, Nanami awoke from her impromptu nap and grimaced.

"Well, that was charming," she muttered softly, cradling her forehead in one hand and bracing herself with the other.  
Lying back, she stared at the ceiling absently and contemplated her unexpected situation.  
I wonder if I'm a girl for real or whether I have a curse like Ranma? Should be interesting to find out, she thought to herself with a wry grin that quickly faded.  
_This is nuts,_ she thought to herself._ I'm in Ranma ½ for crying out loud! What am I gonna do? I guess I can stick to the amnesia thing to cover myself, but what about somewhere to live? What about food? Clothes? Money? I'm like a newborn kid! I don't even have a bloody birth certificate! And I definitely don't look very Japanese! Even for anime!_ She blew out a frustrated breath, nearly leaping out of her skin as Ranma's voice intruded on her thoughts unexpectedly.

"What's the matter?" he asked, eyeing her carefully. Nanami let out a startled squeak and jerked in surprise, causing the blanket covering her to slide languorously to the floor. Ranma choked on his sandwich and turned away.  
"Can you cover up?" he asked politely, affixing his eyes steadily on the ceiling. Nanami looked down at herself again, then back up to the rigid pigtailed boy.

_I kinda like being half naked_, she thought to herself. Heh, I really am perverted.

"Why?" she asked out loud. Ranma turned and looked her in the eye in surprise. 

"What do you mean why? Aren't you, I dunno, a bit embarrassed aboutexposing yourself to a complete stranger?" Nanami blinked at him guilelessly.

_Not really_, she thought. _I know you ain't gonna do anything to me, so why should I worry? Besides, I've never walked around mostly naked in front of anyone else before, and it's kind of fun, to be honest_. Out loud she said, "No, should I be?" Ranma stared at her.

"Yes!"

"Why?" she returned. 

"You don't know me! I could be somesome pervert or something!" Nanami blinked at him, tilting her head and smiling slightly.

"Are you?" She asked. A vein popped out in Ranma's forehead.

"No!" he yelled. Nanami smiled faintly.

"So why should I worry?" She asked simply. Ranma boggled at her, then slapped a palm to his forehead.

"I don't believe this," he mumbled. Nanami smiled in amusement at his actions.

"Um" she started, then blinked carefully. Ranma looked at her, carefully keeping his eyes firmly fixed on her nose.

"What?" he asked bluntly. Nanami tucked a stray few strands of blue hair behind her ear and dropped her eyes to the table in front of the couch. 

"What's your name?" she asked simply. Ranma slapped his forehead again and groaned.

"Sorry, I kinda forgot, huh. I'm Ranma, Saotome Ranma." He awaited recognition, then nearly slapped himself again as he remembered she couldn't remember anything. "Well...uhwe aught to get you some clothes," he muttered. Nanami frowned faintly and shook her head.

"No," she said simply. Ranma sighed. 

"Look, you can't walk around half naked! I'll get in trouble!" He explained in exasperation.

"Why would you get in trouble?" She asked, settling back into the sofa and tugging a corner of the blanket to cover herself, much to Ranma's relief. Ranma pondered for a moment before shrugging and explaining that he had a fiancée and that she would not be happy to come home to find a half-naked girl sitting on her couch. Nanami eyed the door at this part and huffed softly. 

"Ok," she muttered, clearly fairly reluctant to do so, but acceding for his benefit. 

"Thanks," Ranma said, giving a smile to the girl. As she struggled to rise however, he rolled his eyes and tugged on her hand to bring her to her feet. At the sudden motion she turned green.

"Urk!" Was all the warning he had as she vomited over his shirt and collapsed into unconsciousness again. He sighed and removed his top, tossing it into the wash basket before returning and gently picking up the unconscious girl. He winced as he noticed that some of her cuts had re-opened in her fall and quickly hurried her upstairs to his room and placed her upon his futon. Standing over her he scratched his head and pondered on just how he was supposed to proceed from here. With Nanami unconscious everything had become twice as difficult as it had been before, and that compounded when he realized that Akane and Kasumi were going to be home in another twenty minutes.

"Crap," he muttered. He thanked the gods as Nanami began to stir again and cast his eye around the room for something to give her to wear. The answer that occurred to him gave him an unpleasant chill up his spine, but as far as he could tell, waist-wise his curse was about the same as Nanami.   
Grunting in displeasure at going anywhere near the dreaded drawer where he stored the garments his mother insisted on buying him when she was here, he rooted about for a moment, looking for a suitable item of apparel. He froze as a slender arm reached around him and plucked black lacy thong from the drawer and swallowed a groan at the pleased sound behind him. The slight rustling of cloth gave him Nanami's answer to her choice. 

Great, now I know that Akane's gonna kill me, he thought sourly as he swiftly closed the drawer and turned around. Ah shit, he thought when he espied Nanami gingerly inspecting herself in the small mirror, tugging the waistband of the skimpy panties up higher to get a better fit. Noticing that Ranma had seen her, she slowly turned around and shrugged slightly. 

"I wanted them snugger," she answered to his unspoken query. Ranma wordlessly nodded and exited the room, wondering how long it was going to take before this new girl managed to get him killed.

_It's not her fault_, he thought with a sigh. _She doesn't know anything about what's going on around here. Just have to stick it out and hope she doesn't get killed_ he paused as that thought rebounded around his head, and slowly turned his head around to see Nanami slowly following him down the corridor, her eyes roving about curiously. _Ah shit,_ he thought to himself as he assessed the way she walked. _She don't know anything about fightingthe girls'd cream her if they tried to fight heroh boythis day's gone straight to hell._

Nanami noticed the increasingly despondent look developing on the pigtailed boy's face and correctly guessed she was the cause of his unease.   
_Probably because I'd get squashed flat if someone got it into their heads to kick my ass_, she thought wryly. _He probably thinks that he's gonna have to protect me or somethingblech. Oh well, the least I can do is cheer him up!_ Before she could get any closer however, her body made sure in no uncertain terms that it suddenly needed release. She reddened.

"UhmRanma?" she called softly. His eyes indicated his awareness. "I need the bathroom." He gave her a blank look. "It's downstairsand I need to go now." She added urgently. His eyes widened slightly and he sighed, quickly striding toward her and picking her up before she could say anything else, then leapt down the stairs. He belatedly remembered her condition as he landed and turned to look at the sick look on her face.  
"Please don't do that again," she mumbled before tottering into the bathroom and shutting the door firmly.   
Inside, Nanami stared at the toilet determinedly. "This," she muttered, "is going to be interesting."  
A few moments later she stood, red-faced, in front of the mirror and washed her hands.   
"Man, how do girls do that? It's damn sensitive," she mumbled. A second later she realized her hands were under hot water, and she experimentally splashed herself in the face, to no effect.   
Guess I'm a girl then, she thought to herself with a shrug. She shivered at the sensation. Note to self: silk and bare skin is also sensitive. She purred softly to herself and slowly padded out of the room, a languid smile on her face. She made her way to the lounge again and lowered herself into the couch with a satisfied sigh. Ranma entered from the kitchen carrying a steaming drink that he handed to her.

"Here, drink it, it should help a bit with the pain." She nodded her thanks and sipped at the drink, placing it on the table nearby to cool down for a moment and lying back to relax. She drifted off to sleep a few seconds later.

Nanami awoke half an hour later to the gentle shaking of her shoulder. Confused, she opened her eyes and found Kasumi Tendo leaning over her, a concerned look on her face._  
Wow, what a babe!_ Nanami thought to herself. Kasumi blushed prettily, the hand on Nanami's shoulder lifting up to her cheek.

"Oh my," she murmured. Nanami blinked, then felt herself flush. 

"I said that out loud, didn't I," she stated. Kasumi nodded with an embarrassed smile, causing Nanami to groan and close her eyes. "Sorry," she muttered and shifted on the couch. After a moment, she opened her eyes again.  
"Errwho are you?" She asked, essaying a nervous smile. Kasumi cocked her head thoughtfully.

"I could ask the same thing," the eldest Tendo said kindly. "My name is Kasumi Tendo." Nanami blushed again, aware of her gaff. 

"Sorry again, I'm Nanami." Seeing Kasumi's expectant look, she correctly deduced she was awaiting her last name and an explanation of what she was doing in her home. "Ican't tell you anything else," she murmured, allowing her eyes to drift away guiltily. "II don't remember anything. Nanami isn't even my real name I don't think," she glanced back to Kasumi nervously, highly aware that the opinion of the older girl would carry a lot of weight in the household.  
She almost sighed in relief at the concerned look on the brunette's face and felt a hopeful smile grow on her face.   
Kasumi smiled at her kindly,

"It's alright, I can understand. So you remember nothing at all?" Nanami shook her head, dropping her eyes and settling them on the older girl's prominent bust.

_Whoa_ she thought, swallowing heavily. _What kind of figure has she got underneath that dress! Bloody hell!_ She started guiltily when Kasumi patted her hand gently.

"I'm sure it will come back to you," she said. The blue-haired girl nodded simply but noticed her companion's eyes drifting calculatingly to her various injuries. "How did you get these? Do you remember them?" Nanami frowned in irritation.

"I have no clue," she replied honestly. "The first thing I remember is waking up on this couch with Ranma nearby. He patched me up as best he could and got me something to wear," she smiled and indicated the shirt and thong. Kasumi glanced at her underwear and turned pink.

"I don't think that's very appropriate," she said. Nanami shrugged.

"I didn't want to wear anything more," she explained, gaining her an odd look from her companion. "I don't know why," she said before the question could be asked. "I just didn't feel comfortable with the thought of wearing a lot of stuff. Itcreeped me out." She twiddled her thumbs, wondering just how she could explain the desire not to wear a large amount of clothing without seeming like some weird sort of naturist. Kasumi hummed to herself as she thought about this, then seemed to draw a conclusion.

"Waitwhat were you wearing when you arrived?" She asked curiously. Nanami shrugged.

"Nothing," she answered simply. Kasumi stared at her wide-eyed. 

"You meanRanma," she mumbled.

"Saw me naked? Yeah, I guess he did. It doesn't bother me much though. I mean, he might have saved my life for all I know, and he did help me, even when he didn't know who I was. I trust him. Besides, he was a gentleman and lent me this shirt," she tugged at the crimson item of clothing in indication, in the process exposing the scabbed-over gash across her collarbone. Kasumi gasped, quickly reaching forward and tugging the shirt open more, exposing several bruises and cuts.   
Pursing her lips, she deftly unbuttoned the shirt, ignoring the girl's questions, and surveyed the damage.   
When she saw the numerous cuts, bruises and bite marks, she frowned darkly and glanced up at Nanami seriously.

"Were you raped?" she asked bluntly. Nanami boggled at her in surprise, not expecting the level of seriousness the elder girl displayed.

"Uhmnot as far as I know ofI'm notdamaged anywhere else. I checked," she added, seeing the girl's doubtful look. "I thought it was a good idea since I had these bite marks and all."  
Mollified, Kasumi carefully checked each cut and bruise in case there was some clue as to what occurred. Nanami stared fixedly at the ceiling as the older girl's fingers crept across her skin, her face bright red as she fought to control her breathing. She couldn't stop a sigh of pleasure as the Kasumi's fingers inspected the bites on her breasts, making her fingers freeze abruptly. Glancing up at the younger girl made her aware of her condition, the silly smile also cluing her in. 

_Please kill me now_, she pleaded silently as her face turned bright red. Drawing her hands away, she watched as a brief disappointed look flitted across the younger girl's face. _Oh. My. God._ She thought in surprise. Nanami looked faintly embarrassed as she re-buttoned the shirt, the sheer material displaying rather than hiding her reaction to the inspection  
"Thanks for your concern," she said, offering the older girl a brief smile and inwardly furiously berating herself.

_God dammit I want to jump her bones! Geeze! She is so gonna think I'm a pervert._ She paused in her mental tirade thoughtfully. _Even though I am a pervert. But that doesn't matter_, she thought to herself swiftly.  
Kasumi watched the girl carefully, feeling guilty at causing the girl such distress. At that point, Ranma returned from his workout in the dojo and froze.

"Ah shit," he muttered, glancing about frantically. Kasumi, assertaining his fear of her younger sister, spoke up.

"Don't worry, Ranma. She saw something she wanted to buy in town and decided to come back a bit later." She glanced at her watch. "She should be back in about twenty minutes." Ranma breathed a sigh of relief, and then started guiltily.

"ErrKasumi, it's not what you think! I found her outside and had to bring her in cause if I didn't she might've died or got sick or something and she didn't have any clothes on and I had to led her some o' mine and she's not a fiancée or anything of the kind!" He took a deep breath after his blurted sentence and decided to risk a glance up at the eldest Tendo. Both girls were looking at him oddly: Kasumi confused, and Nanami looked far more amused than she had any right to be in his opinion. 

"It's alright Ranma-kun. Nanami explained the situation to me and I understand." She looked at the younger girl and her attire and hummed disapprovingly.   
"We need to get you some more appropriate clothes, young lady. Even if you don't want to wear them." Nanami looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Isn't there anything like this to wear?" she asked. Kasumi looked thoughtful for a moment, then stood up and motioned for the blue-haired girl to do the same. Curious, Nanami slowly pulled herself to her feet, making Ranma turn bright red in the process, and unsteadily followed the older girl up the stairs.  
Ten minutes later she returned downstairs to find Ranma watching television with a bored look on his face. She coughed lightly, causing him to look up and boggle.  
She wore a skin-tight black leotard, extremely cut-off khaki shorts, and a plain white silk blouse. Had she not been injured and looking extremely worse for wear, she would have looked stunning. As it was, she merely looked pretty, the livid bruise on her cheek marring the effect slightly.  
"So," she smirked. "How do I look?" Ranma thought about it for a moment, and then promptly stuck his foot in his mouth.

"Not as good as I'd look, but ok I guess." Nanami raised both eyebrows, remembering she was not supposed to know about his curse, and sniggered. 

"Are you a cross-dresser?" She asked curiously. "I meanyou did have girl's underwear in your room, didn't you?" Ranma's eyes bugged out as he realised what he had said.

"I do not cross dress!" He hollered. Kasumi, standing behind Nanami, quickly raised a hand to her mouth to conceal her smile. Ranma had done it again, it seemed.

"So why would you look better in this? You'd look like a freak!" Nanami retorted. Ranma grimaced and nodded, preferring not to say anything about his curse.

"Whatever," he muttered darkly. Turning to the older girl she mimed a questioning look. Kasumi shrugged, as if to say 'I have no idea.' Shrugging, Nanami went over and was about to lower herself into the couch when the sound of the front door opening and closing alerted them to the return of the youngest Tendo daughter. Ranma immediately looked horrified, panicked and fearful all at the same time. Nanami stared at him in confusion.

"I'm home!" Akane announced as she bounded into the room, a cheerful smile on her face. Spotting the strange girl standing with her back to her and in front of her fiancée, her face immediately clouded over angrily.  
"Who are you?" She demanded suspiciously. Nanami turned around to look at the girl and studied her curiously for a moment. Akane, irritated at what she took for being ignored, stalked closer. "I said," she growled angrily, "who are you?" She completely missed the injuries on the exposed parts of the other girl's body, even the bruise on her face. Nanami, surprised at having her personal space invaded so abruptly, stepped back slightly to get some more room. Before she could speak, however, Akane stepped forward and grabbed her roughly by the arms, aggravating several large bruises even more.  
"I asked you your name!" Akane growled, ignoring the girl's pained cry.

"Akane, stop!" Kasumi commanded. Bewildered, Akane complied and glanced at her older sister, only to find that she was hovering by the strange girl and checking her arms carefully. Feeling her temper rise again, she turned to the nearest available target. Ranma, who had been sitting on the couch and nervously watching the confrontation, found himself the focus of his fiancée's ire, much to his displeasure.

"Ranma! Who is she! Another fiancée I bet! Well? Is she?" She questions swiftly. Ranma stood and held up his hands placatingly.

"Calm down Akane," he said simply. Akane purpled furiously in response. Realising that he had taken the wrong tact, Ranma dropped his hands and hurriedly thought of something to say.

"My name is Nanami," a voice interrupted smoothly. Akane, hearing a new voice, turned to the stranger and glared at her. Nanami raised an eyebrow at her curiously, having a good idea what the girl was angry about.  
"I crashed into your back garden a couple of hours ago. As I was unconscious, Ranma brought me inside and patched me up as best he could. He has been very helpful." Akane turned her glare to her fiancée. 

"Oh I bet he has," she growled. "What did you do to her, you pervert?" Ranma gave her a hurt look.

"I didn't do nothin'," he stated simply. "Just patched her up, like she said. She can't remember who she is an'"

"Oh I see, Ranma. Decided to take advantage of it, did you?" the shorthaired girl accused. Ranma glared at her, his own anger stirred. 

"I told you I didn't do nothin'!" He protested angrily. Akane snorted.

"Right, sure Ranma. What do you take me for you idiot?" Ranma reddened.

"An uncute, flat-chested tomboy!" He snapped. Akane growled and prepared to belt him one when the tall figure of Nanami stepped between the pair, her yellow eyes flashing dangerously.

"That's enough." She stated firmly. "You have no reason to hit him, Akane-san. You're the one who insulted him first for helping me. Would you rather I had died outside? Is that the kind of person that you are?" Blinking in shock, Akane took a step back in surprise, her mouth opening and closing impotently. Nanami smiled faintly. "I didn't think so. He was just helping, Akane-san. Honest. He was a perfect gentleman, I assure you." The cause for argument gone, Akane shrugged, gathered her shopping bags and walked past and up the stairs to her room. The blue-haired girl blinked and wobbled slightly, then jumped as a hand landed gently on her shoulder, she turned carefully to Ranma.

"Thanks," he muttered as he dropped his hand and stared out into the yard. Nanami shrugged lightly.

"No worries," she replied with a smile. Turning to Kasumi, she scratched the back of her head.  
"So, what now?" She asked. Stooping to pick up the bowl of vomit that Ranma had forgotten, Kasumi contemplated the question.

"I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "Until you regain your memory, you don't have anywhere to go, and Father and Mr. Saotome will be home fairly soon." She chewed her lip thoughtfully and pondered what to do, moving into the kitchen automatically and setting to cleaning the bowl out and moving to begin making lunch. Unnoticed, Nanami followed her and watched as she worked absently, a faint smile on her face as she watched the deft skill that the young woman possessed without even thinking about it.

"Do you want any help?" She asked, startling Kasumi out of her introspection.

"Oh! Oh no, that's all right, I'm fine," she answered with a smile. Nanami tilted her head slightly.

"Please? I can talk to someone then. I have a feeling Ranma's not very comfortable with me at the moment." Kasumi paused, thought about it for a moment, and nodded.

"All right, you can chop up these vegetables for me," she indicated a small pile to the side. Nodding, the taller girl moved around to the side and began to chop, careful not to injure herself further. 

"So, what was that about? Did I hear right when Akane said 'another fiancée'?" Kasumi paused in what she was doing and glanced at the other girl.

"Well," she answered eventually. "For you to understand that, you'd have to know about" So she began relating the tale of Ranma's arrival in Nerima and the subsequent events until Ukyo's arrival several weeks ago. She also remembered Ranma's reluctance to say anything about his curse and, although she didn't agree with him, she edited the story as best she could without giving anything away.

"So, let me get this straight," Nanami commented as she scraped some vegetables from the cutting board into the frying pan. "Ranma's engaged to Akane, has to marry this Chinese Amazon because he beat her in battle and is also engaged to this Ukyo girl because of his father selling him for food?" Kasumi nodded.

"Yes, that's right," she said and checked to see if the water was hot enough to add the rice to. Nanami stared at her for a moment, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Does he like any of them? Including your sister," she added. Pausing, the eldest Tendo contemplated the question for a moment.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "He got re-engaged to Ukyo because he called her 'cute' and he defended Akane rather vigorously at the skating match" She lapsed off into silence for a moment before shrugging at the younger girl. "I still don't know. He might do. Why do you ask?" Nanami paused and looked over at her, her mouth set in a straight line. 

"Because no one else has, so far, from what you've told me. No one's asked if he likes any of them or if he likes the situation. It seems a bit unfair to me, in all honesty," she commented. Kasumi made an agreeing noise in the back of her throat, earning her a surprised look. "If you think that way, why haven't you said anything?" She asked. Kasumi paused and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Because if I do say or do anything, Father will take it the wrong way and think I'm interested in Ranma in that way! Don't get me wrong, he's a nice young man, if a bit crude and rough around the edges, but I'm not really interested in him. Doing anything other than usual would likely end up with the engagement transferred to me, and I don't want that. And I certainly couldn't do that to my Little Sister, even if she is too stubborn to admit she likes him!" Nanami blinked.

"Wow, you really needed someone to talk to, didn't you?" Kasumi looked embarrassed, earning her a conspiratory grin. "I won't tell anyone if you don't!" Kasumi smiled in relief.

"Thank you Nanami, I guess I've not had someone to gossip with for a long time, since I left school. All my friends are in college now." The older girl looked slightly morose for a moment, before she perked up again. "To be honest, even though I'm not at college myself, I still like caring for my family. Plus when I do eventually go to college, I'll be well prepared!" She indicated several books in an open cupboard to the tall girl. Nanami nodded.

"Borrowed them from this doctor, huh?" She asked. Kasumi nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I already know enough to take the entry exams into several medical colleges, and I'll only have to delay another two years or so, until Akane's graduation, before applying!"

"Sounds good," Nanami pronounced, wincing as some of her muscles protested her continuous movement. A commotion from the entrance hall marked the return of the two fathers. Checking on her stir-fry, Nanami looked to Kasumi.  
"Well, this is ready I think," she said. Looking over, the older girl nodded in agreement.

"You're quite a good cook!" She proclaimed with a smile. Nanami shrugged non-committally.

"I just followed your instructions, so that just means that you're a good cook Kasumi-san." Kasumi paused and looked at her with a smile.

"Oh, please, call me Kasumi, at least. Despite not knowing you very long, I think I can safely call you a friend, right?" She asked, tilting her head. Nanami grinned and nodded, swiftly swooning afterward with a grimace. She clung to the work-surface unsteadily and offered a wan smile at the older girl's concern.

"Don't worry about it, but yeah, I'd like to call you a friend too, Kasumi. At least I can say I know one person around here," she quipped with a smirk. Kasumi laughed and nodded in agreement as she turned about and headed out to greet her father.

"Hello, Father, Mr. Saotome, did you have a nice day?" she asked as the two entered the dining room. Soun smiled at his daughter.

"Yes, Daughter, it was perfectly fine. I trust you had fun shopping?" He asked.

"Not likely," Nanami muttered from the kitchen, hidden from view. "It was all groceries. Yuck!" Kasumi smothered the impulse to giggle. It was nice to have a friend, she decided to herself. 

"Yes, Father it was fine," she answered. As her sire made his way to the shogi board with his friend, she spoke up again. "Father?" 

"Yes, Dear?" He responded. 

"There was an accident today," it was only a slight lie, there probably was, somewhere, "and a young girl was injured. Ranma found her and helped her with her injuries, but I'm afraid there were some problems," she said. The Tendo patriarch picked up on her words.

"Problems?" He asked curiously. Kasumi nodded.

"Yes, she has lost her memory. She cannot even remember her real name." Soun nodded gravely.

"Yes, that is indeed a problem, did you say Ranma found her?" Kasumi nodded again.

"Yes, she landed from a great fall in our garden. He brought her inside and dressed her injuries, but I'm afraid that we are at a loss as to what to do now." She gestured to the kitchen behind her and Nanami came out, offering a faint smile and wobbling slightly on her feet.   
As soon as he saw her, the Tendo patriarch leapt to his feet and crossed to stand in front of her.

"Good lord! What on earth did this to you my dear?" He asked, clearly shocked. The blue-haired teen shrugged slightly.

"I don't know, sir. I can't remember anything at all. I just remember waking up on your couch this afternoon and being told that I was injured, that's all. I have no idea how I got here or how I survived such a fall as I did." Nanami knew that she should probably act a little scared at the loss of her memory, but her distaste for the idea added to her natural pragmatism made her toss the idea out of the proverbial window. Plus she had no desire to lie more than she already was. 

"You poor dear," Soun murmured, tears glimmering in his eyes. Unexpectedly, Nanami felt a rush of irritation well up at his fatherly tone.

"Please, Tendo-san, do not baby me. I am well aware of my situation and the problems it presents. I will deal with it, but I do not want pity for something I cannot even remember!" Soun blinked in surprise, and the oncoming crying fit he'd been trying to hide evaporated like the morning dew.

"Of course, young lady, I apologise. You are welcome, of course, to stay as long as it takes to locate your family or friends." He smiled at her benevolently, earning him a thankful smile in return.

"Thank you very much, Tendo-san, your assistance is most appreciated, I can assure you." She bowed, managing to hold her stumble to only a slight wobble, and upon raising herself back up, managed to catch the dark look that Genma Saotome sent her way.  
"Why are you looking at me like that, Saotome-san?" she inquired politely. If anything his dark look only increased in intensity in response to calling him out into the open.

"Saotome?" Soun inquired curiously.

"I don't trust her, Tendo," he answered simply. Nanami blinked in surprise, turning her head to direct a curious look at Kasumi, who merely looked just as surprised and even slightly offended.

"Saotome! Why would you say such a thing!" Soun demanded, even a little angry himself.

_Don't tell me I've been stuck in the body of someone Genma engaged to his son!_ Nanami thought in irritation. That would open a whole can of worms she had no desire to play with at this time. She settled on an offended look that she directed at the elder Saotome. 

"Ah stuff it, Old Man. You're just worried that she might be some fiancée that you forgot to mention. Again," Ranma growled as he entered the dining room. Genma shifted his glare to his son.

"Be quiet boy! You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You're kidding me," Nanami muttered, staring at Genma as if he had grown a second head.

"WHAT! Old Man! You didn't!" Ranma roared furiously. Genma glared anew at his son.

"Of course not, Boy! What do you think I am, stupid? I would have remembered if I had engaged you to such a girl!" He defended. Ranma glowered angrily.

"Just like you 'remembered' Ucchan, huh, Pop?" He returned sarcastically. Nanami wondered why one of the pair had not gone up in flames from the force of the glares they directed at each other.

"Shut up, Boy," Genma muttered, turning his attention back to Nanami. "Think about it, Tendo!" He exclaimed. "She could be anyone! Who's to say she's telling the truth about not remembering?" Nanami purpled furiously.

"How dare you!" She yelled as she glared at him. "You have no right, NO RIGHT! To say such about me! Especially when I cannot defend myself against your accusations because I can't remember!" She moved forward slightly, her fists tightly balled at her sides. "And you especially have no right saying such when you would sell your son for food!" Sniffing derisively, she turned about on her heel and marched into the kitchen. Kasumi followed quickly, already suspecting what she'd find. When she entered, she found Nanami slumped unconscious at the base of the counter, a brand new bruise rising up above her right eyebrow.

"Ranma!" She called quickly. In moments the pigtailed boy appeared and, upon spotting the unconscious girl and her newly forming bruise, deftly picked her up and carried her into the dining room.

"Look at what ya did, pop," he said simply. "Hope yer happy." With that he turned and made his way into the lounge, placing his inert burden upon the couch and draping the blanket there over her carefully. He studied her a moment before standing up and returning to the dining room for lunch.   
There he found Genma sitting sullenly at the table, Soun at the head and sending occasional disapproving glances at his friend. When Kasumi entered with the food and placed it upon the table ready for serving, she cast a decidedly frosty look at the elder Saotome. Ranma shivered, hoping that he never gave her cause to look at him that way.

"Could you let Akane know that lunch is ready please, Ranma?" Kasumi requested. Nodding a little reluctantly, he hopped up the stairs quickly and knocked on the door. 

"Lunch's ready Akane," he called and quickly returned downstairs. A moment later, a sullen-looking Akane opened the door and followed.

"Idiot," she muttered half-heartedly. When she reached the bottom of the stairs and spotted the unconscious form of Nanami lying on the couch she silently crept over and studied the girl. It didn't take her long to spot the injuries she had somehow missed before hand, including the fresh-looking one that was arising above her right eyebrow. Stifling a gasp, Akane stood up again and continued into the dining room, a thoughtful look on her face. 

Two hours later, Nanami woke up groggily and blinked in confusion.

"Eh?" She muttered as she glanced about in confusion. "What happened to the kitchen?" She mumbled to herself.

"You passed out," a voice told her. Turning her head to blink owlishly at the speaker, Nanami spotted Kasumi a short distance away.

"I did?" She asked. At the older girl's nod, she settled slightly. "Oh. Didn't know that," she muttered. Kasumi gave her a disapproving look.

"You have a concussion, you really shouldn't be up at all!" Nanami shrugged and gave a cheerful smile. 

"Ah, but then I wouldn't have been able to cook and become your friend, would I?" She argued. Kasumi sniffed.

"I suppose that's true." Nanami eyed her with a smile.

"You suppose do you?" she teased. Kasumi glanced about and then stuck her tongue out at the younger girl. "Hah!" Nanami crowed, then winced. She directed a baleful look in the elder girl's direction when she giggled. Kasumi sobered slightly and put down the book she had been reading - a rather trashy romance novel, Nanami noted with amusement.

"My sister came back while you were asleep," she explained. The blue-haired teen blinked. 

"How long was I asleep?" She asked. Kasumi glanced at her watch.

"Just about two hours. Nabiki knows the situation and has promised to help look for any clues regarding your identity," she said with a smile. Nanami stared at her in surprise. 

"She did?" At Kasumi's nod she settled back and pondered the new development silently. "Tell her thanks," she said simply. Kasumi gave her a smile, her eyes twinkling slightly.

"Why don't you tell her yourself? She's standing behind you," she said. Tilting her head, Nanami looked up and back and then turned a rosy shade of red. Nabiki was indeed stood behind her, wearing a baggy cut off t-shirt and tight blue shorts. Looking back the way she was, she had a perfect view up the middle sister's top.

_Fucking hell_she thought to herself, feeling her mouth go dry. _Are all women around here supermodels or something?_

"What are you looking at?" Nabiki asked, seeing blush and growing smile on the other girl's face. Nanami blinked and raised her eyes slightly whilst feeling her face grow hot.

"Uhm" she muttered intelligently. Over in her chair, Kasumi buried her face in her book, trying to look inconspicuous. She had noticed the glances the other girl had given her in the kitchen and didn't quite know what to make of them just yet.  
Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the girl, knowing for a fact that she wasn't a Jusyenko cursed individual. Which made her something else entirely. She smirked at catching the girl red handed and watched with amusement as her face turned from pink to cherry red.

"Sorry," Nanami mumbled, looking away.

_Oops,_ she thought to herself. At least Nabiki didn't seem offended, which was a small consolation, she supposed. The middle Tendo sister grinned at the girl, then shrugged.

"Accepted. So, remember nothing, huh?" She asked. Returning her eyes back to the teen, Nanami felt a little irritated.

"No, I don't remember anything," she answered with a hint of annoyance. Picking up on it, Nabiki nodded and moved to a different topic.

"Daddy says that he's offered you a place to stay until you remember something about your family or they are found," she said. "Any idea how you're going to pay your way?" 

"Nabiki!" Kasumi objected in surprise from her chair. Nanami shook her head from where she lay and looked at her older friend.

"She's right. I can't just sit here sucking up money." She frowned in thought for a moment. "But I have no idea how I'm going to pay. I don't remember anything, and that means I have no money at all. Even the clothes I'm wearing aren't mine." Nabiki blinked and upon inspection realised that the amnesic was correct. She recognised the pair of shorts the girl was wearing as a pair that were too small around the waist for her, since she outgrew them four years ago. That this girl wore them was evidence to the truth, not to mention that she was really thin.

"Well, you could always get a job," the middle Tendo reasoned. 

"Not for a while, a month at the least," Nanami answered with a slow shake of her head. Nabiki thought for a while before shrugging.

"A month, month and a half at the most is the best I can do, before it becomes a strain and more money needs to come in. You're going to have to go to school too, you realise," she said. Nanami blinked in surprise.

"I hadn't thought of that," she muttered with a frown. Then she glanced up. "What about clothes? I can't live on borrowed clothing for a month!"

"Not to worry," Soun said as he popped his head in the door. "I've given Nabiki enough money that you can get yourself a few simple things to wear. It's not much I'm afraid, but it's better than wearing nothing!"

"Says who?" Nanami muttered under her breath. Nabiki blinked and looked at the girl in surprise, who had turned to her father with a smile. "Thanks Mr. Tendo!" She said honestly. Soun beamed a smile and left again.  
"He's cheerful, isn't he?" Nanami said to no one in particular. Just then, the sound of a bicycle bell sounded, swiftly followed by a crash and a cry of surprise.

"Sounds like Shampoo's here," Nabiki muttered dryly as she stood from her perch on the arm of the couch and walked to the door.

"Oh my, I should put the kettle on then," Kasumi chimed, following her sister's example and leaving the room. Blinking, Nanami stood up and followed at a much slower pace.

_This I have to see_, she thought to herself. 

Outside, Ranma struggled out from underneath the Amazon's bike tire in time to receive a rib-creaking glomp and numerous affectionate nuzzles from Shampoo, much to the watching Akane's displeasure.

"Gerroff, Shampoo!" he hollered, trying to pry the Amazon loose before he was pounded into the ground. Suddenly he found himself pushing against air, and flailed comically in the air before falling flat on his face. As he pulled himself upright again, he heard the purple-haired girl speak.

"Who is you? Is you obstacle to Shampoo's Airen?" She asked seriously. Nanami blinked at the Amazon and raised an eyebrow.

"You would be Shampoo?" She inquired. Said Amazon nodded. Nanami pointed to the rising Ranma. "And, he would be your 'Airen'?" Another nod and a slightly darker look. She smiled at that.  
"Then, no. I doubt I would be an obstacle for your 'Airen' since he already has three fiancées. Besides, I can't even remember my name, so I couldn't be engaged to him anyway." Shampoo blinked in confusion.

"What you is saying? You is not remembering? Aiyah! Maybe is Xia Fang Gao!" Everyone looked surprised at this sudden leap of logic, and each glanced at the other, admitting the possibility that the technique could have been used. Nanami sweated as everyone seemed to take this as being a possibility, knowing that it was likely 'she' would be discovered to actually be a 'he' at least in spirit. He had no desire to get his ass whooped more than it already was.  
"I go get Great Grandmother!" Shampoo yelled, disappearing before Nanami could even think of protesting.

_As Sam Becket once saidOoooh Boy_

Ten minutes later, Shampoo and Cologne bounced into the Tendo compound.

"Where is this girl?" the elder asked swiftly. Four pairs of hands, minus those of Genma, singled Nanami out immediately.

_Gee thanks_, she thought sarcastically. _I'm **so** gonna die._ Cologne pogoed up to the teen and peered at her until Nanami glanced up from the ground, revealing her burnished gold eyes. Cologne fell off of her cane in surprise, shocking the room at the action. Recovering her dignity and cane, Cologne hopped forward slightly.

"What is your name, child?" She asked simply.

"I don't know, but I chose Nanami as a temporary name until I find my real one," she answered. Cologne hummed softly and pogoed around behind the blue-haired girl. Feeling extremely nervous at having such a woman behind her unprotected back, Nanami glanced about and shivered. She jumped when she felt the old woman's hands roving over her back, prodding gently every so often. She swallowed and tried to moisten her dry mouth as Cologne investigated.  
After ten nerve-wracking minutes, the old woman hopped back in front and regarded everyone seriously.

"I cannot tell what has been done to her, but whatever it is, it is very serious and perhaps was life-threatening at one time." She pointed at the long gash across Nanami's collarbone. "The point beneath this slash was pressed, and disrupted by the cut. Several others have had the same thing done to them; it is why she is so injured. I have undone what I could, which I must say is very little, and aided her healing. She should be up and about in two weeks or so." Nanami boggled.

"Something was done to me?" She asked in surprise. 

_Oh hell_, she thought to herself. _That means someone IS gonna be after me. Shit._ Cologne nodded.

"As I said, I cannot tell what it was that was done, so we must await the return of the good doctor to perhaps shed some more light on this subject. It's possible that he has some knowledge that I do not." She regarded the teen levelly. "I would suggest plenty of rest for a while, and hopefully your memories will return. I could see no tampering with them, aside from the injuries sustained to your head. It is probably naturally caused." She nodded to her great granddaughter and pogoed back to her restaurant, the purple-haired girl in tow.

"Why do I get the feeling that wasn't good?" Nanami asked idly.

"Probably because it wasn't," Nabiki answered coolly. The taller girl grimaced. 

"Oh thanks a lot," she muttered. Nabiki smirked faintly at her.

"You're welcome."

Deciding to retire to sleep, Nanami inquired as to where she would be housed. After several minutes of debate, interrupted by a furious argument between Ranma and Akane, it was agreed that she should bunk in Nabiki's room. Nanami became understandably nervous at this, enhanced by the knowing looks the middle sister was sending her way. Just what she knew was a mystery, and one she wasn't looking forward to finding out.

Laying out a futon on the floor, Kasumi smiled at her younger friend.

"You look nervous," she commented. Nanami gave her a slightly strained smile.

"Nervous? Me? No, of course not!" She laughed, then realised miserably that she had dug herself a little deeper. "Err"

"What are you nervous about?" Kasumi asked, tucking the cover underneath the futon securely. "You're both girls, aren't you?"

Wrong thing to say, she thought with an inward groan. Nanami's smile died a horrible death at the thought of spending the night in the middle Tendo's bedroom. Not because she was afraid, more like she wasn't looking forward to finding out what Nabiki's knowing smile had been about.  
"You'll be fine," Kasumi assured. Sighing, Nanami nodded and settled herself into the futon.

"Yeah, I know. Justnerves I suppose. What Cologne said today has got my back up" she trailed off into uncomfortable silence. Nodding, Kasumi wished her goodnight, and closed the door.   
Closing her eyes, Nanami relaxed and began to drift off to sleep.

_I'll worry about whatever's bothering me tomorrow_, she thought drowsily, just as she slipped into the realm of Morpheus. 

- End Chapter 1 -


	3. The Tease

**Chapter 2 - The Tease.**

Nanami jerked awake with a gasp and a whimper, and clapped her free hand to her mouth as she groaned. Blinking the sweat that dripped into her eyes away, she gulped in huge breaths of air and prayed fervently to any gods listening that Nabiki was asleep. 

"Interesting dreams?" Nabiki's voice floated out of the darkness, sounding amused.

_There is no god, _Nanami thought to herself miserably. While no prude, having someone else you don't really know listen to you was definitely distressing.

"Not bad," she panted in response. A chuckle reached her ears, followed by rustling bed sheets. She could imagine Nabiki turning to face her position easily.

"You've been at it for an hour and a half now," the older teen said. Nanami boggled. An hour and a half!? "I'm surprised you haven't woken up before, in all honesty."  
The blue-haired girl groaned in dismay and shifted her position, unable to bite back a squeal as her other hand freed itself from its confines.  
_Oh bugger,_ she thought.   
On her bed, Nabiki grinned widely at the sound and found herself enjoying her companions discomfort immensely.

"So," she commented to the darkness at large. "You're a lesbian, are you?" to her surprise she heard a snort of laughter from Nanami.

"No," the younger teen's voice answered, sounding sullen. "Not a lesbian. Not totally anyway." Nabiki sat up and paid attention at that.

"I thought you couldn't remember anything?" She asked. 

"I can't," Nanami's voice answered. "But not remembering doesn't mean you still can't feel."

"So you like guys as well?" Nabiki asked quickly. There was a growl from across the room. After a moment, the other girl responded.

"Are you asking for personal reasons or because you're curious?" She growled.

"That's private, and you still haven't answered," Nabiki retorted.

"Well this is private too, damn it! And you're asking like the Spanish Inquisition!" Nanami snapped in irritation. Recognising the heavy dose of embarrassment colouring the other girl's words, Nabiki revised her tactics. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," she said. Nanami laughed softly.

"Yeah you did, you thought it was funny, I suppose. Don't worry about it, apology accepted." She sighed and turned over, resting her chin on her laced hands, deliberately ignoring her body.

"So what's it like? How does it feel?" Nabiki pressed. Nanami grunted.

"How should I know? The only memories I have are the ones starting halfway through today! All I know is what I feel, and that's it," she stated firmly. After a pregnant silence, she sighed. "What else do you want to ask?"

"How did?" Nabiki began.

"Deja-vu." Nanami explained.

"Oh. Wellwhat's the difference?" Nabiki asked.

"Difference between what? Explain, please." Nabiki settled back onto the bed and regarded the ceiling thoughtfully.

"What's the difference in attraction? The way you feel towards guys and girls?" She tried. Nanami sighed.

"Bit silly asking me that when the only guy I'm attracted to is Ranma, isn't it? I haven't met any others. Aside from your father and his. No offence, butyuck. Not a chance in hell of that happening." She shivered at the thought, then shivered for other reasons.

_Stupid body, get a hold of yourself! _An image popped into her head._ On second thoughtdon't. do nothing._ Nabiki pondered that for a moment and sighed.

"I guess you're right," she conceded. She took a deep breath and nearly choked at her companion's next question.

"So, you like guys and girls too, huh?" 

After coughing for five minutes and being unable to stop, Nanami provided relief by getting up and slapping her heavily on the back until she got herself under control.

"Thanks," she muttered weakly as Nanami's silhouette sat on the bed.

"Don't worry about it," came the response. Staring at her hands for a few minutes, Nabiki eventually raised her head.

"Is it sick?" She asked bluntly. She watched as an arm reached up to flick a lock of sky blue hair behind a shadowed ear.

"Sick? Liking guys and girls?" At her nod, the younger girl laughed softly. "Nah, not in my opinion. Of course, I'm not likely to say it is, am I?" Nanami shrugged. "Who's to say what's sick and what's not? People say the Japanese are sick for hentai and the schoolgirl fetish. People say all sorts of things, not that I can remember anyone ever saying it to me."

"You're awfully blasé about not having any memories," Nabiki muttered suspiciously. Nanami shrugged.

"I can't mourn what I don't have. I can't seem to work up a desire to get them back either. It's like it's in the past. Finished and done with, and now I have a new chance. It's anodd feeling."

"Are you sure that's not just you feeling turned on?" Nabiki joked.

"Oh shut up," Nanami groused, her silhouette turning it's nose up in distain. Nabiki laughed.

"You are, aren't you!" she snorted in amusement. Nanami sent her a baleful glare.

"It's not my fault I can't remember what it felt like! Stop laughing! Hey!" Nabiki clutched at her sides as she giggled, feeling better than she had in years.

"Aha, yes it is funny! If you're saying what I think you are, you're going to be horny for days!" She collapsed into giggles again, listening to the younger girl grouse under her breath.

"You still didn't answer my question." Nanami reminded, making Nabiki pause. After a moment's deliberation, she shrugged. 

"Maybe. I'm not sure.," she answered. She caught a glimmer of pearly white teeth in the darkness before Nanami raised herself up and moved over to her futon.

"Well that's good. If you can admit it to yourself, then I bet life'll be much easier," she murmured pragmatically. Nabiki privately agreed with her. After a moment, she called out into the darkness.

"Are you attracted to me?" After a full five minutes of silence, she caught the barest hint of a whisper.

"Yup."

Nabiki went to sleep with a smile.   
It was nice to be wanted.

---------------------------------------------------

Nanami yawned sleepily as she woke up, idly scratching the top of her head. It was Friday, precisely five days since she had arrived, and the healing points that Cologne had pressed had done their work admirably. All of her bruises had completely healed, and nearly all her cuts had scabbed over and healed, leaving a precious few to shine with the pinkish tinge of healthy wounds healing.  
Over the past week the okonomiyaki chef, Ukyo had learned of her presence, causing havoc when she misunderstood and thought the taller blue-haired girl another fiancée for Ranma. The resulting chaos as she attempted to beat the non-existent claim out of the other girl had ended up in the destruction of the Saotome's guest room and a blue-haired girl that was high as a kite. Kodachi had also made an appearance at the time, hence the high part.

Nabiki still had the tape of Nanami, full of the strange concoction of Kodachi's drugs, fawning all over every girl in sight.   
Akane had not been amused, though the other girls were far more tolerant. For some odd reason, Shampoo had been rather pleased with the attention. Kasumi had hidden in her room and hadn't come out until Nabiki assured that Nanami was free of the Black Rose's drugs.   
The blue-haired girl sighed and stood up, stretching the practically non-existent nightie tight over her breasts alluringly. Hearing a noise, she glanced across the room to find Nabiki eying her chest with a lecherous smile on her face, partially hidden by the covers that covered her shielded her from the morning sunlight. 

That was another change. Although neither had made any overt moves towards the other, the week had been filled with subtle flirting, 'accidental' touches and shared looks between the pair. Ukyo had been the first and only person to catch on, though Nabiki privately suspected her older sister to also be aware of the mutual attraction, and had almost fallen out of her seat in class when she connected all of the dots. 1+1=2 and all that. After that, she had annoyed a fair number of people by her secretive smile and occasional private giggles, especially Akane, who had become progressively more paranoid as the week went on, wrongly thinking that the chef had a devious plan in store for her erstwhile fiancé. 

"What are you looking at?" Nanami murmured sleepily. Nabiki's smile widened slightly in response.

"Your nipples," she answered dryly. Glancing down, the blue-haired girl noticed that indeed her nipples were poking through the sheer fabric of her nightwear. 

"Oh," she said. "Well that's okay then." Muffling her laugh, Nabiki crawled out of bed, glancing out the window to where the two Saotomes were sparring in the back yard over the koi pond before turning to her roommate. Making her way to the door, she idly pinched the other girl on her exposed bottom as she bent down to air her futon, prompting a shriek of surprise.  
"Hey!" Nanami objected with a laugh as she attempted to return the favour. Poking her tongue out, Nabiki danced nimbly out of the way and darted out of the door.

"Missed me!" She called, hurrying to the bathroom in order to escape retribution. Poking her head out of the door, Nanami eyed the other girl's swaying behind with a grin before it disappeared out of sight. Chuckling to herself, she returned to the room and finished tidying up before heading out and down to the bathroom, which she entered quickly.   
Knocking on the door and hearing Nabiki's enquiring voice, she immediately opened the door and entered, doffing her clothes quickly and beginning to wash herself.  
"Daddy would kill you, you know," Nabiki cautioned with a grin. Having done the same thing all week, neither girl were particularly worried about being told off, and simply enjoyed each other's company, as well as the chance to see each other naked in a completely innocent situation.  
Flicking some lather into her companion's face, Nanami poked her tongue out in response, gasping in surprise when Nabiki dumped a bucket of freezing cold water over her head.

"You little!" She shrieked in horror, diving for the other girl and upending her own bucket over her head. Their playful fighting took another five minutes to wind down, ending up with Nanami straddling the other girl's hips and pinning her hands above her head.  
Blinking at the sudden change in atmosphere, Nanami realised her closeness to the other girl and blushed. Seeing an answering blush bloom on the older girl's face causing her to lick her suddenly dry lips in an attempt to moisten them. Nabiki gave a slightly nervous smile.

"Oh dear," she murmured, "you seem to have me at a disadvantage, whatever shall I do?" She quipped theatrically. Feeling a devilish smile bloom on her face, Nanami leaned closer until her nose lightly touched her companion's.

"Hmmwhat shall I do with the prisoner?" She mused aloud. "Such a delightful range of possibilities" She leaned closer, her smile growing in excitement. Nabiki felt the blue-haired girl's warm breath wash across her face and felt her breathing quicken as she tilted her head slightly.

"Whatever you want," she whispered softly as she watched the spark of desire flare up in the other girl's eyes. 

"Mmm" Nanami purred as she leant in for a kiss. Just before their lips touched, however, the sliding door opened abruptly, followed immediately by a strangled sound. Glancing up in horror, both girls spotted a topless Ranma-chan staring at them in astonishment, a trickle of blood running out her nose.

"Thisthis isn't what it looks like!" Nanami protested nervously as she stood up. Nabiki swallowed her embarrassment quickly and glared at the redhead.

"Is there something you want Saotome?" she inquired coolly. Ranma floundered for a few moments, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

"H-hot w-water?" she croaked, her eyes wide. Glancing sideways, Nabiki noted that Nanami had recovered her composure and that a naughty smile was spreading across her face. Having a good idea of just what she was thinking, the middle Tendo felt an identical conspiratory grin spread across her own face.

"It's going to cost you, Saotome," she warned, stalking forward and shaking her finger under the stunned pseudo-girl's nose. 

"W-wh-wha?" Ranma stammered, glancing between the pair as Nanami sidled up to his right side. Glancing at her partner in crime, Nanami nodded and grasped the redhead's right arm, tugging her forward into the washroom gently. Closing the door behind them, Nabiki latched onto the other arm and assisted in pulling the stunned girl forward.

"Yes, I think, since you saw both of us in the buff, that we should get you to return the favour!" Nanami commented, making eye contact with the other girl. Nabiki grinned and reached for the waistband of Ranma's drawstring pants. 

"Huh? What? What do you mean?" Ranma questioned, a confused look on her face. Smiling, the two girls yanked her pants down to her ankles, boxers and all, and tipped her into the furo nearby.

"Natural redhead," Nanami commented as Ranma floundered in surprise under the water. Nabiki nodded.

"Yep, I got some pictures if you're interested," she said with a grin. Smirking, the blue-haired girl shook her head.

"Nah, it's better seeing the real thingthere aren't any of me in those pictures, are there?" She added. Upon seeing the other girl looking slightly edgy, she glared at her. "I want any nude ones," she commented, turning back to the furo as Ranma emerged. "The others you can have." Nabiki sighed, figuring that that would be her answer.

"What did you do that for!?" Ranma yelled as he re-emerged, scowling furiously. Seeing the identical grins and the direction of their glances, he looked down and yelped. Sinking into the hot water, he glared at the duo sullenly. It took a further thirty seconds to put together that they were both naked and in full view of his moody glance.  
"GAH!" He quickly turned around, blushing horribly. Hearing the pair's amused laughter behind him, the pigtailed boy's ears burned with embarrassment. "'Snot funny," he mumbled uncomfortably. He almost passed out when he felt a lithe body slip into the water beside him.

"Oh yes it is," Nanami purred in his ear with a grin. Blinking in surprise, Nabiki eyed the door to the bathroom dubiously, half expecting her younger sister to barge in and clobber her roommate and Ranma halfway across Nerima. After five seconds of nothing occurring, she shrugged and slid in on the opposite side of the younger martial artist.  
Though it was something she ordinarily wouldn't have done, she had to admit that Nanami's sense of humour, as well as her apparently inflated libido, was rubbing off on her. It was certainly fun to tease Ranma, though not with her younger sister around, that was for sure.   
Tensing nervously, Ranma shifted and glanced about, seeking an escape. He was certain that Akane would burst in any moment, but wasn't sure what to do if she did not. He was certainly not blind, and knew that both girls were highly attractive, if not beautiful, and the fact that they were both as naked as he himself now was was not lost on him.  
He coughed when Nanami draped her hair over his shoulder, glancing at her quickly. She had spoken to him often over the week, listening to him grumble and complain, a fact that he was definitely grateful for, but she had also teased him a fair bit too. Not like Nabiki did, a subtle mocking of his abilities, but in a far more physical manner. The occasional touch, a glimpse of skin, even seeing her panties - always small, lacy and black. Considering that she never seemed to be aware of these facts made him quite anxious, and Ranma found himself at a complete loss as to what to do with the situation. He couldn't go to Nabiki for advice, since he noticed the pair gossiping every day and was sure that she would tell her newfound friend just what he had been asking about.

"What's the matter, Ranma?" Nanami murmured softly, her warm breath washing over his face and making him shiver. Despite the heat, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and his skin break out in goose bumps. He swallowed and essayed a shaky grin.

"Na-nothing!" He chirped. He shivered again when a sculpted blue eyebrow arched disbelievingly.

"Are you sure, Saotome?" Nabiki purred from his other side, an amused glint in her eye. Feeling himself beginning to panic, Ranma opened his mouth, then froze as he felt Nanami press herself to his side.

"Are you okay, Ranma? You look feverish! See? You have goose bumps!" She peered into his eyes from a very short distance away. Ranma squeaked, his eyes large and all to aware of the position he was currently in.

"Fine," he rasped. "I'm fine!" He took several deep breaths and tried to calm himself, managing not to breathe a sigh of relief when Nanami sat back, apparently satisfied with his assurance.

"Well okay," she murmured, glancing at Nabiki, who looked halfway amused and jealous at the same time. She grinned, then turned back to Ranma. "I think we've gotten our revenge sufficiently for now, okay Ranma? Just remember to knock next time!" She moved back, indicating for Nabiki to do the same, which she did, to allow the pigtailed boy to escape.   
When he did not move, she glanced at him worriedly.  
"What's the matter?" She asked. His face flushed bright red and he stared hard at the water, his body shifting uncomfortably in the water. Glancing over at Nabiki in confusion, she frowned questioningly. Nabiki looked thoughtful for a moment, before realisation crept into her eyes and she leant towards Ranma.   
Whispering something into his ear, he suddenly looked mortified and sank even lower into the water.  
Nanami finally twigged what the problem was and clapped a hand to her mouth to keep her laughter from escaping.  
"I'm sorry, Ranma," she apologised, a smile tugging at her lips even as she spoke. He looked sullen and grumbled under his breath in response. Finally allowing the smile free reign on her face, she leant forwards to his ear.  
"It's nice to know a girl is appreciated," she whispered, placing a light kiss on his earlobe. Ranma shuddered and tried to swallow.   
Knowing exactly how bad Ranma was about showing his attraction to a woman from what she had read when she had been a man, Nanami had difficulty not bouncing about the tub and crowing like Peter Pan.  
Quickly catching Nabiki's eyes and tilting her head quickly to the door to indicate that they should leave, Nanami stood up.  
A strangled sound from Ranma made her pause in getting out of the tub until she realised that she had stood up right in front of him.  
"Oops," she muttered, feeling her face turn red. She quickly got out of the furo and made her way to the door, Nabiki right behind her. When they were outside in the changing room, the older girl slapped her around the back of the head.  
"Ouch! What was that for?" Nanami protested. Nabiki stared at her in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? 'What was that for?' You're worse than Shampoo!" She hissed. Nanami looked affronted.

"I am not! She is way worse than I am! I can see that from all the times she's been around this week!" Nabiki glared at her as she dried herself off.

"Honestly!" She muttered. "Shampoo snuck into the bath with him because she thinks he's her husband, for goodness sake! You, who are not a fiancée nor a 'wife,' clamber into the tub with him as if it's the most ordinary thing in the world!"

"You were there too," Nanami pointed out adroitly. Nabiki paused.

"Yes, I was, and I have no idea what the hell prompted me to do it! You're a bad influence on everyone!" She growled. Nanami pulled on her skimpy lace panties and poked her tongue out at the other girl.

"Can't deny it was fun, though. Although I didn't think it would get that bad," she admitted with a blush. Nabiki paused.

"It was fun, butNanami, my sister loves him, even if she won't admit it to herself." She looked at her friend seriously. "I don't want her to get hurt," she said firmly. Nanami paused in the midst of drying her long blue hair. After a moment, she looked up at her friend.

"We have to talk about this somewhere else," she said simply. "It's too serious to discuss in here." Nabiki nodded in agreement. The pair finished dressing in silence, then left.

"We have to hurry," Nabiki urged. "I have to get to school soon." The blue-haired girl nodded and continued upstairs into their shared room. Sighing, she plunked herself down on the bed and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Do you think they make a good couple?" She asked simply. Sitting down next to her friend, Nabiki sighed.

"Sometimes, when they aren't fighting," she admitted. "They seem so right for each other that I have no doubts whatsoever that they are perfect for each other." She paused and rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly. "Other timesother times they seem to almost hate each other, or at least my sister does. Ranma doesn't seem the type of guy to hate. He just gets mad when my sister calls him a pervert or something else and retaliates, that's all."

"Your sister's the problem then, isn't she?" Nanami clarified succinctly. Nodding sombrely, the middle Tendo sister leant forward and rested her head on her hands.

"Yeah," she agreed. "She gets jealous so easily, then cant keep her mouth shut and says stuff that isn't true and merely pushes Ranma further away. That and her cooking," she muttered with a grimace. "Why she doesn't get that she can't cook, I don't know," she said with a shake of her head. "She simply won't taste her own cooking, no matter what. Even when Kasumi tells her to taste it first! She just doesn't get it!" She said bitterly.

"You don't think they'll last, do you," Nanami murmured, looking up at the ceiling. Sighing, Nabiki lay back and joined in the study.

"I think they will get married," she said. "But I don't think the marriage will last. Ranma always says the wrong thing, my sister gets mad at him and says some nasty stuff, he gets mad back at her and says something else, and my sister pounds him. It's a vicious cycle," she muttered.

"Which do you think will hurt more?" Nanami offered. "Ranma finding someone else and leaving her to get on with her life and pursue her ambitions, or marrying Ranma, getting tied down to the dojo like their parents want, having a kid when she can't cook and doesn't have patience, and finally divorcing or worse?" Nabiki stared upwards unseeingly for a few moments.

"Shit," she said simply. "It's a loose-loose situation, no matter how I look at it." Nanami chewed on her lip silently before standing up and crossing to the door.

"Come on, we've got to have breakfast," she said. "We can talk about this later." It didn't sit right with her that she knew so much about what was going to happen and wasn't doing anything to help the situation.

_I have to find out how all the girls really feel about him_, she thought to herself. Sighing, Nabiki nodded and followed her friend downstairs and to the breakfast table.  
Everyone was gathered there, including Ranma, who blushed and stared intently at the table, prompting an angry glare from Akane that divided itself between the tall girl and her own fiancé. 

After breakfast was over, Nabiki stood up and glanced at her friend.

"I think you're about ready to go to school now," she said. Nanami grimaced, but nodded and stood up. 

"Give me a minute to get changed into something more appropriate then," she asked and dashed upstairs before the older girl could answer. Nabiki glared at the empty stairway in annoyance.  
The day before, Nabiki, Kasumi and Nanami had gone out shopping for some clothes for the girl to wear, buoyed by the money given by the Tendo patriarch as well as some donated by Ukyo and Cologne, who both liked the young girl and sympathised with her loss of memory. The results of the trip were not expected by either Tendo sister, as Nanami's taste in clothing was certainly nothing like they expected.

A minute later and Nanami appeared, causing several blinks. She wore a tasteful black suit, combined with white blouse and a black hair band that held her lengthy tresses away from her face. Surprisingly, on her nose perched a pair of rectangular black-rimmed glasses, though Nabiki knew that they were simply glass and served no real purpose. Nanami smirked at their surprised looks and waltzed over to the middle Tendo sister, a simple black schoolbag held in her hands.   
Nabiki grinned at her friend, taking note of the subtle blue eye shadow, lip-gloss and pale pink nail polish that adorned her features. 

"Very nice," she murmured with a smirk. Nanami grinned and struck a pose in front of everyone.

"You like?" She asked cheerfully. Akane glowered from her position, Ranma declined from answering, casting a careful eye toward his fiancée, Kasumi nodded with a smile, Genma just huffed and ate what remained of his food and Soun grinned.

"You look very nice, my dear," he said. Kasumi privately thought that he looked and sounded rather proud, for some reason. The last time she could remember him looking like that was when either herself or her sisters accomplished something. It was a mildly disconcerting thought, but it didn't bother her too much, since the looks her younger sister were giving the blue-haired girl were far more worrisome. 

"Sweet!" Nanami chirped, then turned to her friend. "Shall we go? I think I've held you up enough, now!" Snorting softly, Nabiki waved goodbye to her family and left, the taller girl trotting by her side.  
After enduring five minutes of cheerful humming, she reached out and slapped her friend around the head. She found the action oddly soothing, for some reason she couldn't fathom.   
"Hey! What was that for?" The blue-haired girl protested.

"How long are you going to keep up the Asuza Shiratori act?" Nabiki muttered. "It's enough to give people cavities." Smirking, Nanami pulled her hands behind her head and stretched.

"I dunno, I think it's hilarious, to be honest," she said simply. "Besides, it doesn't hurt anyone!" Nabiki rolled her eyes.

"Tell that to Akane," she returned. "Every time you do it, she glares at you hard enough that I'd think you'd have a heart attack just from the hostility."

"It's not that bad," Nanami muttered. "I mean, you can't seriously think that she's really angry with me, can you?" Nabiki glanced at her friend curiously and found a pensive frown on her face.

"You don't like that, do you? People not liking you, I mean." Nanami scratched her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"No, I don't think I do. It makes me feel uncomfortable; to have someone I'd like to be friends with not like me. Besides, what reason does she have for not liking me, anyway?" Her comment earned her a snort from the middle Tendo.

"You don't know? Hmm, let's see, shall we?" She held up a hand. "One: you're prettier than she is. Two: You have bigger breasts, something that Little Sister never likes to be reminded of, and Ranma's managed to do it nearly every day so far. Three: Both me and Kasumi are your friends, which means that, oh-so-perfect Little Sister isn't always the centre of attention in our house anymore. Not that she has been since Ranma arrived." She sniffed and rubbed the side of her nose for a moment. "Four: Daddy likes you, which I have to admit puzzles me a bit as well. He's never acted this way before unless it's been one of us, meaning me, Akane or Kasumi. It is a little weird I have to admit. Five: both Cologne and Ukyo like you pretty well, and Shampoo hasn't really said anything to you much, meaning she doesn't mind you, I guess. That's something that Akane's not had, and it annoys her. Six"

"Okay! Okay! I get the point!" Nanami interrupted irritably. 

"You've been teasing Ranma, too," Nabiki added, "though she hasn't really seen that. If she found out what happened this morning, she'd go ballistic I can tell you."

"I guessed," Nanami said dryly. "I'm not stupid, you know."

"That's debatable," Nabiki retorted. Nanami gasped and leapt for her friend.

"You take that back!" She shrieked hotly. Laughing, Nabiki evaded and ran ahead.

"Catch me if you can, Thunder thighs!" She yelled, dashing off to Furinkan, Nanami in hot pursuit. 

"I'll get you for that!" She yelled.

Five minutes later saw them laughing and approaching the gates together. Nabiki sobered and stopped her friend.

"You know what I do here," she said evenly. "A lot of it has to do with my image. If I loose that, it will make getting money much harder." Nanami sighed and scrubbed a hand through her hair, pulling off her hair band in the process.

"I get the idea," she answered with a resigned expression. "Can't be your friend in school, huh." She shrugged. "I suppose I can live with that," she said. "I don't like it, but I can live with it." The blue-haired girl sighed, and then perked up slightly. "See ya, Nabiki-chan!" She chirped before leaning in and placing a quick kiss on her cheek.  
Laughing at her friend's stunned expression, she trotted through the gates merrily..

"Hold! Who doth this fair flower of maidenhood be?" Called a voice. Behind Nanami, Nabiki swore that the temperature of the air dropped thirty degrees.  
"But wait, is it not polite to introduce thineself first? Fine! Mine I shalt give!" The kendoist posed arrogantly before speaking. "I am Captain of the Furinkan kendo club! Rising star of the professional circuit! The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High! Tatewaki Kuno, aged seventeen." Determining that her friend didn't quite know how to deal with Kuno, Nabiki was about to speak before Nanami began to slowly walk forward toward the kendoist, stopping half an arms length in front of him. Kuno himself looked confused by this until Nanami reared back and spat in his face. Before the astonished onlookers, her leg whipped back and nailed him square between the legs, causing him to abandon his eyes in favour of his crotch.

"You disgust me," she snarled, then stalked off into the school. A moment later and Nabiki followed, casting several glances to the kendoist and after her friend.

- End Chapter 2 -

Send all C&C to strider_richards@hotmail.com.


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